Hard Times
by Moonwaif
Summary: "If Hancock ever imagined a rival it would have someone more, well...flesh-covered. Probably with clear skin and a nose. Piper, maybe. Or even – god forbid – Danse. But no, the one guy that actually manages to get under his skin is another freak, an outcast same as he is: Nick Valentine." / Hancock x Gender neutral SoSu
Hancock flips his knife, leaning back on the bed as he listens to the laughter in the hallway. His lips pull into a frown as there's a particularly loud giggle. He wonders what could be so funny to keep Sole away, when they haven't even slept in the same bed together for weeks. Not that it's Sole's fault, of course. They've been busy, running around and saving the Commonwealth ("Without me," he adds mentally). Hancock's proud of them. Still, it doesn't stop the bitter words slipping from his mouth as soon as Sole enters the room, door barely even shut behind them:

"Ain't ya gonna invite the circuit board to join us?"

"What are you talking about?" Sole asks, shooting him a confused look. Hancock shifts uneasily on the bed, already regretting his choice of words. He's a politican, the mayor of Goodneighbor for God's sake; public speaking is his forte. Yet here he is, making an ass of himself in front of the person he loves, on the night of their romantic reunion, no less.

"Just… y'know…Mr. Handy's not really my style," he answers finally, face carefully neutral. "But if you wanna, I'll give it a go, I guess…"

Sole holds up their hand, cutting him off. "Wait. Are you…are you asking me if I want to have a threesome with Nick?"

Hancock shrugs, and the gesture would be casual if it weren't for the way his eyes are burning straight into Sole's, watching intently for any sign of interest of desire.

"Well?" he asks, voice wavering ever so slightly. " _Do_ you?"

There's a pause, and Hancock can feel his stomach twist in the silence. Oh god. He's lost them, hasn't he? He knows it, knew it was bound to happen eventually, that someone like Sole could never be tied up with…with someone like him, but did it really have to happen so soon?

But then Sole's laughing. In fact, they're laughing so hard, they have to lean back against the door for support.

"Seriously? Nick?" they say again, and the snicker that follows makes Hancock feel a little sheepish. "What even made you _think_ that? Do _you_ wanna sleep with him or something?"

"No," Hancock answers quickly, his tone more defensive than he'd like. Their laughter is a good sign, but at the same time, it's making him feel more than a little foolish. "I just thought you might be interested. I mean, it's not the first time we've had a third party. Remember Glory?"

Sole's smile grows nostalgic. "Yeah…Yeah, I remember. But that was Glory. This is _Nick_ we're talking about."

Hancock leans back against the headboard with a frown, tipping his hat forward to hide his embarrassment. "Fine, I get it, you don't wanna bang the detective. Forget I asked."

Sole snorts, and Hancock can hear a soft snap as they undo their holster. "What made you ask in the first place?"

"Well I don't know," Hancock grumbles, watching out of the corner of his eye as Sole begins to shrug out of the rest of their gear. The sight should be commonplace but to Hancock it's latently erotic, and he's momentarily distracted by a faint stirring in his trousers. "Maybe it's the way you two are always cuddlin' up against each other in front of the computer – "

Sole rolls their eyes. "He's helping me hack, Hancock," they explain patiently. "You know he's a genius at it."

"Oh yeah? Well so are you," Hancock retorts, and despite his irritation he can't help but let a little pride slip into his voice. He's never really understood tech, not like Sole does at least. The way their eyes flash with sudden understanding as they sit in front of a terminal, their face doused in the cool blue light of the screen – or the way their forehead wrinkles as they sort through the wires on a circuit board, extracting every valuable component…They're just so damn smart. It gets hard sometimes, really it does, dating someone who's so danged good at everything they set their mind to.

Sole, however, doesn't seem to realize it, if the self-deprecating look they give Hancock is anything to go by. "I'm not as good as Nick," they say. "At least, not yet."

"Whatever," he mumbles. "Maybe you would be if you guys spent more time practicin', instead of runnin' around playin' detective - "

"We're solving cases together," Sole corrects; and that last word, ' _together_ ,' makes his jaw clench. "Besides, I like the detective work. Feels like I'm really doing something to help the Commonwealth, y'know?"

"Diamond City's not the Commonwealth," Hancock snaps, sending them an uncharacteristically harsh look. "You and me, _we_ do more good working in the settlements. Hell, even Goodneighbor, if you ever actually stopped by - "

Sole listens to him, a slight smile creeping across their face as he rants. He's being petulant and he knows it, but now that he's started he can't stop. He's almost grateful when Sole approaches the bed and interrupts him.

"Wait, wait, wait. Are you being jealous right now? Of Nick Valentine?"

Hancock's mouth clamps shut. He glares at them in silent confirmation as their smile widens, and if he could still blush his face would be scarlet.

Hancock knows it's funny; he can see the irony of it, too. They've always had a solid bond of trust, him and Sole; still do. Even so, if he'd ever imagined a rival it would have someone more, well...flesh-covered. Probably with clear skin and a nose. Piper, maybe. Or even – god forbid – Danse. But no, the one guy that actually manages to get under his skin is another freak, an outcast same as he is: Nick Valentine.

Then again, maybe it's not so much of a surprise. Sole's never been one to judge based on appearances; Hancock knows that firsthand. And in a way, Nick is everything Hancock's not: book smart, tech savvy, precise. Hell, even pre-war, to boot. Of course it'd be Nick. Who else would it be?

"'Course I am," he grumbles at last. "I'm in love with the most popular person in the Commonwealth. Can ya blame me?"

Sole's smile vanishes. They climb onto the bed, straddling his hips. Hancock leans into their touch as they caress his face. God, he's been waiting to feel them for so long…

"I really fuckin' missed you," he whispers, his hand reaching up unconsciously to cover their own. "You know?"

"I missed you too," they reply, and Hancock moans as they bend down to press a kiss against his neck. "Really" - kiss - "really" - another - "missed you."

"Even with ole' Nick around?" he asks drily, although there's no real force behind his words. Not now, with their body pressed up against him and the love in their eyes so present and real that all his worries seem meaningless in comparison.

"Even with ole' Nick," they confirm with a smirk. "It's not like he's gonna do chems with me, after all. And he never lets me borrow his hat like you do. Besides..." Sole glances away for a second. When their eyes return to his, a slight pink has risen to their cheeks. "It's you, Hancock. It's been you when I'd lost everything - my family, my entire, the world that I knew. It's still you now, and it's still gonna be. Because...I love you."

A thousand firecrackers explode in Hancock's chest. Sole barely finishes before his head darts forward, seizing their lips with all the longing and hunger that's been building inside of him for the past few weeks. However, he's surprised to feel Sole return it back to him tenfold. They take his tongue into their mouth with a whimper, and when Hancock finally comes up for air they bite down on his lower lip, sending a jolt of desire straight to his cock as he pulls away.

"Shit," Hancock groans. "Guess you _did_ miss me, huh?"

"I did. Especially" - they reach down to seize the bulge between his legs - " _this_."

Hancock grins. "Oh yeah? Well he's missed you, too."

(FIN)


End file.
